The invention relates to a process for energy beam perforation, especially electron beam perforation of multi-layered artificial leather, which has an essentially impervious top layer and a support layer which is pervious to gas, preferably of fleece or cloth.
It is well known to perforate multi-layered artificial leather with energy beams, especially electron beams, and thereby make it to an extent previous to gas, so that properties of use and support of the artificial leather for footwear, seating upholstery and the like are considerably improved and made more similar to natural leather.
Up to the present time, the process has been such that perforation was carried out from the impervious top side, i.e. this top side was turned towards the beam source during perforation. For this, the ray characteristics were set preferably so that the preforation holes ended in the support layer which was moreover gas pervious, with the result that damage to this support layer was as far as possible avoided. On account of this possibility of sparing the support layer, which contributes to the strength of the artificial leather, perforation has up to the present time been carried out exclusively in the way described with the top side turned towards the beam source.